Most people are pretty reluctant to give out their cell numbers - email, IM, work number, blog address, and other identifiers usually go first. Most people might want to re-think this - especially most people living in Kenya.

Kenya's largest mobile service provider (Safaricom) announced M-PESA, an SMS feature that lets mobile customers send money to each other with text messages. You can read about it here. The Guardian (U.K.) touts this as a world first. Can you hear me now?

Not only is the transformation of money amazing, but how about a shout-out for Africa leading on innovation?

Yesterday it was charitable ATMs. Today its mobile money, or Philanthropy by Phone.

Why is this blog called Philanthropy 2173?

This is a blog about the future. The year 2173 seems sufficiently far enough in the future to give us some perspective. As sure as we are of ourselves now, talking about the future - and making philanthropic investments - requires that we keep a sense of modesty and humor about what we are doing. Philanthropy is for the long-term - for the year 2173.